Escondido plans upgrades at three parks, city pool

The proposed park in northeastern Escondido, which supporters call Caballo Park, would be built on the site where city officials had planned to construct three water department administration buildings.

The city abandoned that plan in March after intense lobbying and multiple protests by members of a coalition including animal lovers, environmentalists, equestrians and homeowners near the city-owned site, which is off Valley Parkway.

Proposed projects that didn’t make the cut include adding a BMX track at Kit Carson, a community garden at Ash Street and Washington Avenue, a skatepark where Ash crosses the flood control channel and a splash pad water feature at either Washington or Grape Day parks.

Money for the projects comes from two sources: $164,000 is from fees developers contribute to finance parks, and $251,000 is money the state gave Escondido to reward the city for constructing two large low-income housing projects.

The projects are the 61-unit Juniper Senior Village on the northeastern edge of downtown, which opened in 2010, and the 55-unit Crossings project off Mission Avenue, which opened in 2011.